JEDDAH: The five-day Saudi Building & Interiors Exhibition (SBIE), which opened at the Jeddah Center for Forums & Events last night, has a record participation of more than 500 international and national exhibitors. The response has been so overwhelming that two tents had to be erected outside the hall for accommodating the exhibitors, according to the organizers, Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions.
“This is an impressive show that exhibits all aspects of the building and interiors industry and surely our community will benefit a lot, especially at a time when the buoyant economy is driving the construction industry to boom,” Jeddah’s Deputy Mayor Ibrahim Kutubkhanah told reporters after opening the SBIE. The 18th comprehensive showcase for the industry, which runs alongside a high-profile seminar, has the Construction Products Holding Company (CPC) as the main sponsor. Egypt, Turkey, the United States and China, have put up major pavilions, while individual participants have come from France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Russia, Malaysia, Jordan, Iran, Kuwait, Taiwan, Thailand, Lebanon, Kuwait and the UAE.
Mary Lynn Landgraf of the Washington DC-based International Trade Administration of the US Department of Commerce, said 13 US companies, all first timers, were participating with carpets, wall coverings, sun protection fabrics, specialty tents, solar shading, wall coverings and fabrics, awnings, and specialty roofing.
Faysal Alaquil, secretary to the board of directors and director of business development and administration of CPC, said: “We are showcasing our ‘Made in Saudi Arabia’ marble, granite, glass and gypsum products at the show. We have 22 quarries locally and we are exporting granite to China, Singapore and the United States. We have two factories in Jeddah for wooden furniture.”
Semir Chouman of ADG Trade Fairs, Istanbul, said 24 Turkish companies were participating in the show displaying a variety of construction products and services, in particular machinery, marble and furniture.
